Book Review: Anchor in the Storm

January 16, 2025February 4, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Anchor in the Storm
Waves of Freedom #2
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

When Lillian Avery moves to Boston to be a pharmacist in 1941, she has a long way to go to overcome her boss’s prejudices against her as both a woman and a handicapped one at that. She’s determined to win him over, but her task is made more difficult when suspicious prescriptions come in to be filled. Arch Vandenburg, naval ensign serving aboard a battleship, has some questions of his own when some of the men on his ship are acting drowsy on duty. Lillian and Arch will have to work together to get to the bottom of what’s going on in Boston.

After finding the first book in this series only okay, I was pleased to enjoy this one all the way through. Arch was in the previous book, the best friend of the male main character. He came across as a bit of a player, at least to me, but Sundin was already setting up his backstory, his baggage. As the heir to a fortune, Arch tends to attract the wrong kind of woman, which has led to trust issues. Lillian has her own version of the same, having been hurt badly in the past by a man who was controlling and at least a little abusive. The progression of their relationship is mostly natural and sweet, though it also becomes a little predictable about halfway through the book. Despite some clichés (and more kissing than I need in a romance book), the backstories and personalities are well set up, and I enjoyed the follow-through.

My preference when reading romance is that it not be the only focus of the plot, and I got my wish with this book. The mystery side, while not exactly a twisty whodunit, was intriguing and kept me engaged. When the romance went the way of cliché, the mystery sped up a bit, which evened things out for me. I was really caught up in it by the end. I also want to mention that Arch’s best friend Jim, the male MC of the previous book, is also Lillian’s brother. And there is a moment in the book where Arch does/says something really stupid and Jim reacts exactly how I wanted to react. I practically cheered! I recommend this book for fans of Christian romance, especially those set during WWII.

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Book Review: Three Act Tragedy

January 11, 2025February 1, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Three Act Tragedy
Hercule Poirot #11
by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

This Poirot mystery was quite a departure from the previous ones, in that much of the investigating is done without Poirot around—at least the investigating that we get to see. Poirot comes in during the last 3rd or so of the book to throw a wrench into the ideas of the people who had taken it upon themselves to try to get to the bottom of the recent deaths. The story really kept me on my toes. In some ways, I feel like I’m starting to get a feel for Agatha Christie’s way of creating a mystery, which leads me to take more outlandish guesses as to the solution than I probably otherwise would. But since I don’t really ever guess at the motive, I don’t feel particularly vindicated if I end up being right. And I was only part right about the killer in this case anyway. I’ve begun to enjoy these stories a lot more than I did early in the series, and I still appreciate the narration by Hugh Fraser. And bonus, this book left me with a laugh right at the end.

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2024 in Books

January 3, 2025October 1, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

2024 was a fairly standard year of reading overall, minus the push in February and March to read shorter books that were outside my norm, in order to get more entries into a local library reading challenge. But I kinda made up for that in April, when I burned out a little and read a lot less.

I read 153 books in 2024, hitting my Goodreads challenge of 150 books (which I raised from 140 in November when I realized how close I was) on December 24th. My total page count was 42,857, making my average book length for the year 280 pages.

Below are the books I read in 2024. The link is to my review for that book, and a link to the book on Goodreads is at the bottom of each review.

January

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
A Beautiful Disguise* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
A Winter by the Sea* by Julie Klassen (3.5 / 5)
Tasty* by Victoria Grace Elliott (3.5 / 5)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3.5 / 5)
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun (2 / 5)
The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection by various authors (3.25 / 5)
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
Once a Queen* by Sarah Arthur (3 / 5)
The Traitor by Richard Paul Evans (1 / 5)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Masterminds by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper D. Basham (2.5 / 5)

February

First Degree by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (4 / 5)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (4.5 / 5)
Hatchet** by Gary Paulsen (4 / 5)
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton (5 / 5)
Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
The Raven by Mike Nappa (5 / 5)
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3 / 5)
The Battlemage** by Taran Matharu (5 / 5)
The Giver: Graphic Novel by Lois Lowry, adapted & illustrated by P. Craig Russell (5 / 5)
Dragon and Herdsman by Timothy Zahn (4 / 5)
Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serraillier (3 / 5)
Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix (4 / 5)
The Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
The Summer of the Swans** by Betsy Byars (4 / 5)

March

Faith, Hope and Hilarity by Dick Van Dyke (3 / 5)
The Magic Factory by Morgan Rice (3 / 5)
Criminal Destiny by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
Stars Beyond Realms* by Marie-Hélène Lebeault (2 / 5)
We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (3 / 5)
The Outsiders** by S.E. Hinton (5 / 5)
Twister and Shout by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
World of Warcraft, v. 1 by Walter Simonson (4 / 5)
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown by David A. Adler (4 / 5)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (5 / 5)
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (4 / 5)
The Nazi Architects of the Holocaust by Corona Brezina (4 / 5)
A Noble Scheme* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
Butterflies in the Storm* by Gary Warner (2 / 5)
Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (3.5 / 5)
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)

April

The Juliet Code* by Pepper Basham (3 / 5)
Bee’s Gift by Dana Romanin (4 / 5)
Embers in the London Sky* by Sarah Sundin (4 / 5)
Illusion** by Frank E. Peretti (5 / 5)
Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure* by Angela Bell (5 / 5)
Anne of Green Gables** by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
The Black Book of Buried Secrets by Mallory Kass (4 / 5)

May

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)
The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere (3 / 5)
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank by Ellen Feldman (3 / 5)
The Regency Brides Collection by various authors (3.5 / 5)
Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
The Last Man* by Thomas Goodman (3.5 / 5)
The Minor Miracle* by Meredith Davis (4 / 5)
Seeking Real Life Irish RomCom by Katie Nelson (2.5 / 5)
Payback by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (review pending)
Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit* by Clare Harlow (4 / 5)

June

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (1.5 / 5)
Anne of Avonlea** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (3 / 5)
Lightkeepers by Kennedy Plumb (3 / 5)
Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
He Should Have Told the Bees* by Amanda Cox (4 / 5)
The Maze of Bones** by Rick Riordan (4 / 5)
A Dream within a Dream by Mike Nappa & Melissa Kosci (4 / 5)
Dog Day Afternoon* by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)

July

Reflections of the Mole by Bill McDaniel (5 / 5)
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Elizabeth’s Playground by Dana Romanin (2 / 5)
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Last Girl Breathing* by Court Stevens (3.5 / 5)
Eléonore by Faith Rivens (3 / 5)
The Groundworld Heroes* by Adrian So (4 / 5)
The Mystery of Locked Rooms* by Lindsay Currie (2.5 / 5)
Anne of the Island** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (3 / 5)
Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson (4 / 5)
In the Nick of Time by Bill Myers & Robert West (4 / 5)

August

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
S. by J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst (3 / 5)
The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (3 / 5)
One False Note** by Gordon Korman (4 / 5)
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Monster by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (3.5 / 5)
Between Flowers and Bones* by Carolyn Leiloglou (4 / 5)
The Big Four by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
An Invitation to Murder by Leighann Dobbs & Harmony Williams (2 / 5)
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line** by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham (4 / 5)

September

World of Warcraft, v. 2 by Walter Simonson (4 / 5)
Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin (3 / 5)
Anne of Windy Poplars** by L.M. Montgomery (3 / 5)
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (4 / 5)
A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch (5 / 5)
Play Dead by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
The Sword Thief** by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Kristy’s Great Idea** by Ann M. Martin (5 / 5)
The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman (4 / 5)
The More the Terrier* by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (3 / 5)
Wimpy, Weak, & Woke by John L. Cooper (4 / 5)

October

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski (3.5 / 5)
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)
Beyond the Grave** by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
The Seat Beside Me by Nancy Moser (5 / 5)
New Tricks by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
Anne’s House of Dreams** by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
Clergy Couples in Crisis by Dean Merrill (5 / 5)
The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Unfixed* by Amy L. Sauder (2.5 / 5)
The Blunder Years by Bill Myers & Robert West (5 / 5)
I Think I Was Murdered* by Colleen Coble (4 / 5)
Hold Back the Night by Axel Blackwell (4 / 5)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)

November

The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)
Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
The Black Circle** by Patrick Carman (4.5 / 5)
What’s So Funny? by Tim Conway with Jane Scovell (5 / 5)
Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale* by Chris Grabenstein (5 / 5)
Anne of Ingleside** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
An Honorable Deception* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
World of Warcraft, v. 3 by Walter Simonson & Louise Simonson (4 / 5)
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson (3 / 5)
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (4.5 / 5)
The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis (4.5 / 5)
One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)

December

In Too Deep** by Jude Watson (4 / 5)
Trust + Follow* by Maddie Joy Fischer (4 / 5)
The Seaside Homecoming* by Julie Klassen (4.5 / 5)
The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (4 / 5)
Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (2.5 / 5)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)
Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Rediscovering Christmas* by AJ Sherrill (3 / 5)
The Viper’s Nest** by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Christmas in Bethel* by Richard Paul Evans (2 / 5)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (2 / 5)
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (5 / 5)

This list includes 29 ARCs (marked with a *) and 20 re-reads (marked with a **). During the last year, I started 20 series and finished 12 series, caught up on 2 series (meaning the author plans to release more in the future), and decided not to continue 4 series (after being at least 2 books into the series). I currently have 13 series in progress. I also DNF’d 1 book (not listed anywhere in this post).

Here is a break-down of the ratings I gave (minus some re-reads whose rating I didn’t count again):
1 star: 1
1.5 stars: 1
2 stars: 7
2.5 stars: 4
3 stars: 22
3.25 stars: 1
3.5 stars: 12
4 stars: 50
4.5 stars: 7
5 stars: 40
Average rating: 3.9

I spaced on posting a top-ten post about my favorite books from the year, so I’ll just list my top 5 here (in order of when I read them, not of preference):
A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
The Raven by Mike Nappa
Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Though I did read 150 books, I know that has a lot to do with the reading challenge at my local library early in the year. I’ll stick with 140 books for this year’s goal for the Goodreads challenge. This number is already only achievable if I read a lot of shorter children’s books, which is always my plan, just maybe not as many as I read last year.

My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here. I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads, if anyone is interested in that.

What did you read last year? Let me know in the comments, and even feel free to link to your own summary post!

December in Review

January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

I read 13 books last month, which is right at what my monthly average ended up being for 2024. The number would have been much smaller, though, if I hadn’t had so much time to listen to audiobooks throughout December. Between Christmas (and Christmas prep) and a couple of longer/harder-to-read books, I got really slowed down in my normal reading time. Still, I hit my Goodreads goal of 150 books (which I raised from 140 in November when I realized how close I was) on the 24th.

Here are the books I read in December:

In Too Deep by Jude Watson (4 / 5)
Trust + Follow by Maddie Joy Fischer (4 / 5)
The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen (4.5 / 5)
The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (4 / 5)
Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (2.5 / 5)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)
Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Rediscovering Christmas by AJ Sherrill (3 / 5)
The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans (2 / 5)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (2 / 5)
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (5 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from December was Book Scavenger. I started 1 series, continued 4 series, and finished 2 series*. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

*This includes 1 series I didn’t reach the end of, but decided not to continue reading, after being at least 2 books into the series.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

Book Review: Book Scavenger

January 1, 2025January 13, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Book Scavenger
Book #1
by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade adventure

Twelve-year-old Emily is a book scavenger. That means she takes part in a game where books are hidden to be found by other scavengers. The only good thing about her family moving (yet again) is that they’re going to San Francisco, which is where the founder of this game, Garrison Griswold, lives. But when Emily’s family gets to San Francisco, she learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in the hospital. Emily and her new friend James find a book hidden near the location of Griswold’s attack and suspect that it was hidden on purpose as part of Griswold’s next big game. But will this discovery make them the next target of Griswold’s attackers?

This book started out feeling a little like the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, with the wealthy benefactor of fun games for kids, the heavy book vibe, and puzzles, but add in geo-caching. It certainly takes its own path, though, so I’m not trying to say that it’s just like Lemoncello. In fact, I like this book more than the first Lemoncello, which is saying something. Besides the puzzles, reading, and hunting, this book includes wonderful themes of family, home, and friendship.

Emily and her brother remind me a little of my own kids, even though the age gap is very different. Emily and Matthew used to go book scavenging together, before Matthew got interested in other things; my kids have often gone geo-caching together. Our family has gone together a couple of times now, in fact, and it’s a lot of fun! So I had a pretty good frame of reference for the book scavenging game. And Emily’s new friendship with James—and Steve!—is the heart of the book.

There are moments in this book that are probably a little unrealistic, but who cares? In fact, some of those were some of my favorite moments in the book! I loved this book so much and highly recommend it to kids aged around 10-14 (my now-14-year-old daughter loved it when read it a year or more ago as well) but also for teens and even adults who enjoy books and puzzles.

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Book Review: The Sign of the Twisted Candles

December 31, 2024December 30, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

The Sign of the Twisted Candles
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #9
by Carolyn Keene
read by Danica Reese

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Nancy gets involved in another mystery when she learns that a man’s 100th birthday is going to be ignored. The man’s relatives are waiting for him to die so they can get their inheritance, while others are taking matters into their own hands and siphoning off some of the man’s possessions early. Meanwhile, there’s a young woman caught up in the plot, who Nancy befriends and whose life Nancy turns around. It’s all a bit much for me, and some of it feels too much like at least parts of previous plots. (Does Nancy ever help a young man in need, or is it only ever women who are being taken advantage of or in some kind of messy situation?) To make matters worse, the young woman, Carol, tends to act a bit whiny and acts as if Nancy is the best thing on the planet. If I had to hear, “Oh, Nancy…” one more time…

The narration has gone completely downhill since Laura Linney’s narration ended (though this one was a bit better than the previous), and there’s only 1 more in this series that even has an audiobook (at least at my library). I think this is a good place to end my trip through the series, since I have a difficult time with the repetitiveness and Nancy as the most awesome, kind, beautiful, and generous person to ever walk the earth anyway. I guess I could handle it more with decent narration, so if they get Laura Linney to do some more, maybe I’ll listen to more. Or maybe they can get Lani Minella to narrate some! I’d be down for that.

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Book Review: Leader of the Pack

December 30, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Leader of the Pack
Andy Carpenter #10
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

A visit to a client whose case Andy lost years in the past turns into Andy and wonder dog Tara visiting the client’s uncle, an elderly crime family member, for a dog therapy session. Andy is surprised when the old man makes comments about his nephew in jail that turn Andy onto a new track for his client’s defense case. When people related to this new line of investigation begin dying, Andy believes he just may be onto something.

This book follows a similar formula to the previous books in the series, with the exception of the way that Andy comes across his new case (which is one of the main things that varies most from book to book anyway). The case is as twisty as normal, though the stakes and destruction are considerably higher this time. I particularly enjoyed Sam in this book, and enigmatic Marcus is always nice to have around. Even Hike made me smile a time or two.

The ending, though…not only did it break the formula, I never saw it coming. Things like that keep a series fresh, and though I do find comfort in the formula, I also enjoy a good shaking up. Andy’s wit and snark bring me coming back to these books, and Grover Gardner’s narration brings it to life. I love this series and recommend the book (especially the audio) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas.

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Book Review: Christmas in Bethel

December 26, 2024December 26, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Christmas in Bethel
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Contemporary romance

Leigh Beth Stilton has been abused by men throughout her life and experienced many other horrors as well. She has plans to end her life on Christmas day, but after reading a book by an author she’s never read, she finds the strength to carry on. Fast forward ten years, and a chance encounter with “her author” leads her into a whirlwind of fancy dinners, expensive gifts, and a hectic book tour schedule. Beth and J.D. Harper form a quick connection, but the pain in her past threatens to ruin everything.

First things first—this is not really a Christmas story. It takes place from before Thanksgiving to after Christmas, and some festivities are involved, but they’re really just background. It’s really just a contemporary romance that happens to take place at Christmastime. Not a deal breaker for me, but it’s good to make sure potential readers are aware. Also, you might see this marketed as Christian fiction in some places. It’s not. I’ve only read a few of Evans’s other books, but I’ve never gotten the impression that he was a Christian author, or even a Christian who is an author. The book doesn’t mention God once, unless you count the explanation of the meaning of the word “Bethel” (house of God). The two main characters become fairly intimate pretty quickly, though it’s pretty vague whether or not they actually sleep together and there’s nothing graphic. And there is a minor character who is somewhat-subtly gay. None of these things would bother me normally, but when the book is listed as Christian fiction (at least on Amazon and NetGalley), it definitely confuses me.

As for the book itself, I found the plot to be shallow and a bit muddled, and I didn’t really connect with the characters. I questioned so many things while I read. For example: Beth’s first name is Leigh (presumably pronounced like “Lee”), but she goes by Beth. So why did she give her name as “Lee” to the barista at Starbucks? Why, to give her the coincidental chance to meet J.D. Harper (whose real name is Lee), of course…though that could have still been worked out without her using her first name that she never uses. And why didn’t Beth recognize J.D./Lee? Sure, his picture isn’t on his books, but apparently his visage is widespread enough on TV and the internet for him to be recognized like crazy when he’s out at restaurants and stores…yet Beth, who has been halfway in love with him for ten years, doesn’t recognize him? I have other examples, but I don’t want to extend the review too much or come across like I’m ranting.

Not a fault of the book, but I don’t really connect with the heavy abuse in both of the characters’ pasts. But more than that, I felt that the romance was hurried and lacked any depth. They connect quickly, but then Lee stars inviting Beth to all sorts of events and even to his home, with barely any time to get to know each other. I guess the romance is mostly supposed to be in Beth falling in love with Lee through his writing, but since we don’t get to read any of his writing, it falls flat for me. In fact, I’d really like to know…anything about his books, especially the one that saved her life. We get only brief glimpses and are basically told that he writes about love so poignantly that he’s a big-name author. Maybe a romance based around the impact of fictional books works for some people, but it didn’t for me.

When I started to realize the little twist that was coming, I thought it might go a different way, but in the end, I did appreciate the way this story ends. It wasn’t nearly enough to salvage the rest of the book for me, though. I also have realized that I don’t really care for Evans’s writing style—I thought before that it was just his YA style, after reading most of the Michael Vey series, but now I know it’s just his style in general. I don’t personally recommend this book for anyone, but if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please check out other reviews at the link below. They’re way more positive than not (which is pretty normal for me).

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Murder on the Orient Express

December 23, 2024 / Kristi / 2 Comments

Murder on the Orient Express
Hercule Poirot #10
by Agatha Christie
read by David Suchet

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

Up front, I’ll say that some time in my life, though I have no idea when or where, I heard a spoiler for this novel. I’ve never seen any adaptations for it or read it before now, but somehow I’ve known the basic solution for a while (the who but not the why or the how). I have no idea if not knowing it would have affected my reading experience. I’m absolutely certain that I would not have figured out the mystery without foreknowledge. This story was one of the more engaging Poirot novels I’ve read so far, not feeling as bloated as some of the earlier ones. Though I do miss Poirot having a sidekick to discuss his thoughts with, at least it means we don’t have to listen to him putting poor Hastings down while extolling his own virtues. Yes, Poirot is brilliant…but he’s not always very nice. On the other hand, his decision at the very end of this book shows much compassion, even if I don’t necessarily agree that it was the right decision.

I definitely understand why this is the most famous Poirot mystery, and I think I’ve gotten to a point in the series that the writing has gotten better and tighter than early on, when I struggled to engage in the mysteries. My expectation is high as I continue on!

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Book Review: Nancy’s Mysterious Letter

December 21, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #8
by Carolyn Keene
read by Jessie Birschbach

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Coincidences abound when Nancy is contacted by a firm in England looking for a Nancy (Smith) Drew and thinks maybe this Nancy is the one they’re looking for. She’s not, but since the firm had tracked the other Nancy Drew to the United States, it only makes sense that she would be found somewhere in the vicinity of our Nancy Drew. The United States isn’t very big, after all, and same-name people tend to gravitate toward each other. My sarcasm aside, how hard would it have been for the author of this story to have given at least a somewhat more plausible explanation for why this other Nancy Drew happened to have connections to River Heights?

The rest of the story was decent enough, though not outstanding. What brought my rating down more was the narrator. Laura Linney was a great choice for narrating these books, and she was going to be a tough act for anyone to follow. But this narrator was objectively not great. Some of her voices were outlandish or ridiculous, and I’m glad to see she doesn’t narrate any more of these books (though apparently there are only a couple more ND books that even have audiobook editions). My reading of this long series may be coming to a close much sooner than I expected.

Find out more about Nancy’s Mysterious Letter

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If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Anchor in the StormWaves of Freedom #2written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 4.5 / 5Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

Three Act TragedyHercule Poirot #11by Agatha Christieread by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 4.5 / 5Genre: Classic mystery

January

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December

Book ScavengerBook #1by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

My rating: 5 / 5 Genre: Middle grade adventure

The Sign of the Twisted CandlesNancy Drew Mystery Stories #9by Carolyn Keeneread by Danica Reese

My rating: 2 / 5 Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Leader of the PackAndy Carpenter #10by David Rosenfeltread by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5Genre: Mystery

Christmas in Bethelby Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5 Genre: Contemporary romance

Murder on the Orient ExpressHercule Poirot #10by Agatha Christieread by David Suchet

My rating: 5 / 5Genre: Classic mystery

Nancy’s Mysterious LetterNancy Drew Mystery Stories #8by Carolyn Keeneread by Jessie Birschbach

My rating: 2.5 / 5 Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Anchor in the Storm
Waves of Freedom #2
written by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Historical Christian romance, mystery

Three Act Tragedy
Hercule Poirot #11
by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

Book Scavenger
Book #1
by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade adventure

The Sign of the Twisted Candles
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #9
by Carolyn Keene
read by Danica Reese

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Leader of the Pack
Andy Carpenter #10
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

Christmas in Bethel
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Contemporary romance

Murder on the Orient Express
Hercule Poirot #10
by Agatha Christie
read by David Suchet

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #8
by Carolyn Keene
read by Jessie Birschbach

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery